This week in gluttony

Wine dinners, Russians and four kinds of chili: The best food and drink events in Dallas this week

If one of your resolutions is to drink more wine, we've got you covered this week. But say your resolution is to be more adventurous in your cuisine. Well, you're also in luck, because we've got a Mediterranean feast at Samar, a Russian winter festival and a chili fest with four types. Let's dig in.

Wednesday, January 23

Maharaja’s Feast at Samar by Stephan Pyles
Enjoy a shared-plate, four-course meal with dishes such as cashew crusted lamb kebab, short rib dum cook, saffron salmon tikka kebab and spinach pakora for $35 per person. Act quickly, as there were fewer that 12 spots left for their 9:15 pm seating when we called to inquire. For reservations, call 214-922-9922.

Merriman Wine Dinner at TJ’s Seafood
Enjoy paired dishes like seafood paella and rose from Oregon’s Merriman Winery beginning at 7 pm. For $85 you are treated to a five-course meal, and each dish is selected by chef Scott Hoffner to match one of Merriman’s award-winning wines. RSVP at 214-219-3474.

Thursday, January 24

A Sampling From Burgundy at The Grape
Chef de cuisine Danyele McPherson prepares a three-course tasting menu to highlight wines from Burgundy in The Grape’s first Come As You Are wine dinner of the year. For $48, you get a relaxed dinner and a one-on-one wine expert consulting at each table. Reservations are available from 5:30-9 pm and can be made at 214-828-1981 or online.

Friday, January 25

Russian Winter Festival at Hôtel St. Germain
Sure, the weather's nice and warm right now, but by Friday, it could be cold again. Enjoy the infused vodka shots outside before moving indoors for a five-course meal with Russian dishes such as blinis with smoked salmon, piroshky and orange chicken Kiev. The evening includes artwork from St. Petersbrug’s Hermitage Museum and Russian party and card games. The food and fun starts at 7 pm on January 25 and 26 and is $75 per person. For reservations, call 214-871-2516.

Saturday, January 26

Chili Pa Looza at the Holy Grail Pub
It’s safe to say that people have strong opinions on chili. We’ll abstain from sharing our preferences, but the Holy Grail Pub is hosting its second annual cook-off with four different varieties: smoked brisket chili, Indian spiced chicken, seven bean and green chile pork shoulder. We have opinions about several of those just reading them, but we’re chili snobs. Reach your own conclusions from noon to 9 pm.

Monday, January 28

Italian Wine Maker of the Year John Matta at Max’s Wine Dive
Four-time recipient of the Italian Wine Maker of the Year award, John Matta of Castello Vicchiomaggio, will be at Max’s at 7 pm for a complimentary tasting of his Ripa Delle More and Vigna La Prima. The evening includes pairings with Italian cheeses.

January Wine and Food Dinner at Sevy’s Grill
Sevy’s serves wines from Amici Cellars of Napa Valley in a four-course menu that includes dishes such as salt-crusted striped bass with fennel and green olive slaw and beef tenderloin filet with creamed spinach. White wine reception begins at 6:30 pm; dinner starts at 7. It is $69 per person and reservations can be made at 214-265-7389 or by email.

Max's is hosting a meet and greet with John Matta of Castello Vicchiomaggio winery in Italy. The event includes free tastings of two of his wines and pairings with Italian cheeses.

Photo by Kelly Knight

Max's is hosting a meet and greet with John Matta of Castello Vicchiomaggio winery in Italy. The event includes free tastings of two of his wines and pairings with Italian cheeses.

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Chino-Mex News

Fun festive Dragon Casa restaurant in north Dallas combines Chino-Mex

Yelp

Tacos at Dragon Casa

A new restaurant has opened in North Dallas with a pretty uncommon fusion: Called Dragon Casa, it's open at 3355 E. Trinity Mills Rd. #213, in what used to be a Chinese restaurant called Chef Chu, with a menu that combines Chinese and Mexican flavors — tacos with Peking duck, for example.

The restaurant is a spinoff of Dragon House, a Chinese concept founded in Southlake that's acclaimed for its dumplings. It's from JJ Food and Beverages, who took over Dragon House in 2020, after the original owner was arrested on a prostitution ring charge.

JJ kept the original recipes including the signature dumplings, and opened a second location in Highland Village in 2024. They also own Japanese restaurant Nikko in Southlake.

Dragon Casa dumplingsYelp

Co-owner Chris Choi says that the menu and concept behind Dragon Casa — whose subhead is "Chino Mex Kitchen" — was inspired by their own team.

"Many of the people who work in our kitchen are Hispanic," he says. "We work as a family behind the kitchen and we share culture."

The menu spans more than 200 dishes, including customer favorites from Dragon House, from dim sum to house-made noodles to fried rice.

But Dragon Casa also has a separate "Chino Mex" section with dishes such as calamari with jalapeno and taco seasoning; and pork bun fajita, with pan-fried pork buns served in a fajita skillet.

There are six tacos, but with clever Chinese-inspired fillings such as kung pao chicken and Mongolian beef. They're served in the same slatted wooden bowls that are used to steam dumplings.

Meals begin with "chips and salsa" — but instead of tortilla chips, it's crispy wonton chips with sweet and sour sauce. Even their beverage menu is a culinary mixup with Jarritos, Mexican Coke, Chinese and Mexican beers, margaritas, micheladas, and hot tea.

Dragon Casa "chips & salsa"Yelp

One amusing section on the menu summons Chipotle: Called "Chinopotle," it has three burritos, but with Chinese fillings: Orange chicken burrito, Mongolian beef, and honey walnut shrimp.

The decor is a festive fusion of Chinese and Mexican cultures, including neon chile peppers and colorful lights. An Instagram nook features the classic wall of greenery but with a stack of sombreros on a chair. It's a little retro and a lot of fun, although the authentic Chinese roots remain thanks to a large see-through window that allows diners to see the dim sum and noodles being prepared.

Choi says they love the neighborhood, which has come out to support them.

"The demographic in this area is so diverse, and we see families coming to visit from all backgrounds," he says. "We do well in suburban areas because we are very family friendly."

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